Black Lab Deemed Dangerous By County

Labrador retrievers may be known for docility, but Brutus, a black lab from Otis Orchards, is dangerous, county commissioners ruled Tuesday.

The dog, owned by Dawn Mason-Dunkle, was accused of biting one person, mauling a foal, and chasing or threatening several people on different occasions.

The “dangerous” designation means Mason-Dunkle, 24119 E. Joseph, must meet stringent regulations if she wants to keep the dog. The requirements are so expensive, many owners have their pets euthanized rather than comply.

During a March 5 hearing, William Miller, a cable television installer, said Brutus bit him when he came to Mason-Dunkle’s house on a service call in 1995.

Neighbor Nelly Foster testified that Brutus was one of the dogs she saw attacking a young horse. One neighbor said the dog recently chased her and her grown daughter when they ran past Mason-Dunkle’s house. Another said he’s driven his daughter to school for two years because he’s afraid she’ll be bitten.

The neighbors said Brutus and another lab owned by Mason-Dunkle “run free throughout the neighborhood at all times of the day and night,” according to a report by Commissioner John Roskelley, who presided over the hearing.

Mason-Dunkle did not attend the hearing, which she requested when animal control officers declared the dog dangerous, Roskelley wrote.

To keep the dog, Mason-Dunkle must install elaborate fencing and warning signs, buy a $75 annual license, and get a $50,000 surety bond and liability insurance in case the dog bites again.

Insurance companies often are reluctant to issue such policies if they know a dog is declared dangerous.

, DataTimes